Headwaters
by Inflorescences
Summary: A series of drabbles, one-shots, and short stories for the Percy Jackson universe. Everything from angst to fluff. "What he saw now was a sea at war."
1. Bathroom Reflections

The sink was cold.

Percy leaned over the sink, his hair- long, wet, bedraggled- falling in thick strands over his face. He stared at the water slowly draining away as his fingers slowly go numb. He isn't sure whether it is the chill of the porcelain or the tightness of his grip.

Taking a shuddering breath, Percy flicked his head up to face the mirror. His normally dark skin has faded to a sick off-color. There are bags a mile deep under his eyes. At eighteen, there are already signs of stress etched into skin. He looks old.

One shaking hand reached up to flatten his hair and Percy flinched when he catches his gaze in the mirror. Those green eyes are sharp. Dangerous.

Annabeth had once compared his eyes to a peaceful ocean- bright, capricious, and gentle. What he saw now was a sea at war.

 _Maybe I should have gone back to camp…_

The first year after the giant's war had been spent recovering and catching up on his missed sophomore and junior year. His absence was explained as an old accomplice of his 'kidnapper' from years ago capturing him in revenge. It wasn't entirely wrong, when Percy thought about it. Percy got better. He took his time catching up, got to know Paul better, helped his mom prepare for a new baby sibling. He caught up with Grover, Clarisse, Tyson, the Stoll brothers, Katie- everyone. He met new campers. He talked to Drew- and gods, that conversation took ages. He agreed to go on some medications to help with the fallout and- it helped, once they figured out the right drug and the right dose. He was healing.

And then he decided to go back to mainstream school for his senior year. He could have dropped out. He could have done online school. But Percy wanted to go back- he needed to go back.

At first, everything went well. He made varsity swim at AHS, got an IEP and accommodations, with Paul's guidance, and managed to stay on top of everything. He got to visit camp at least once a month. A demigod figured out the hows and whys to why monsters honed in on tech-using demigods and a team was now working on blocking the signal so demigods could safely use tech, and Percy, as one of the strongest demigods and capable of defending himself from most monsters, was cleared for a trial run of the first prototype. He was happy.

Something about that first winter back in the mortal world hit him hard though. Maybe it was the darkness. The cold. Maybe it was the distance from his friends and the weight of his secrets. Maybe it was the shield of mystery at AHS fading and the sudden influx of whispers about him- his scars, his tattoos, his reactions…

Percy turned the water back on and splashed his face, eyes closed as exhaustion dragged his shoulders down.

 _I want to go home._

Percy wanted to be back at camp. He missed the stars, the open fields, the safety of his bunk…he missed his friends. He missed Grover. He missed Annabeth. He missed the quiet understanding. He missed seeing the light of realization when one of his swordfighting students figured a technique out.

 _I want to go home._

Percy let himself flip around so his back hit the wall and leaned against it, running a hand through his already messy black hair. His other hand clutched the beads of his necklace.

"Get it together, Jackson," he muttered to himself. "You can do this."

He took a deep, steadying breath. With one hand, he pulled the excess water off of his skin and hair and lobbed it into the sink.


	2. Christmas Traditions (Perianca verse 1)

Later, Percy would swear up and down that Bianca's head damn near spun off when he'd opened that bag of hot, aromatic eggnog muffins.

Having braved the scouring New York winter to bring back a bag of his fiancee's favorite holiday treat, he'd barely managed to kick the door close with the heel of his boot as he came in the door, three bags weighing down his arms. Setting them down on the kitchen table, Percy shrugged off his snow-soaked jacket and gloves with a, "I'm home!"

Shoving the first two bags into the nearest unused cabinet- they were still unpacking- Percy unwrapped the third to pull out a still-warm brown paper bag, tied close with a piece of twine.

"Percy!" Bianca said, bursting out of the living room with bright eyes. Any lingering irritation melted away as a sort of ethereal lightness and pure joy bubbled up inside him and a wide grin burst onto his lips. He opened his arms wide and stepped away from the counter as she threw herself against him, arms quickly slipping under his as she leaned up to kiss him.

Hardly holding back a giggle, Percy indulged her, leaning down slightly to meet her. For a second, they stood there until finally Percy backed away. His hands slid down her back as she looked up at him, laughter in her dark eyes.

"What?" Bianca asked, batting her eyelashes. Percy's cheeks flushed with heat as laughter slipped out of him.

"I brought you something," he said teasingly, heart fluttering as her eyes lit up. Slipping out of his arms, Bianca peered around him, eyes quickly zeroing in on the paper bag.

"You didn't!" she said, nose twitching. Percy, laughing, ducked out of her way as she virtually launched herself at the bag, bad leg be damned. Leaning against the fridge, Percy watched as she tore open the paper to reveal three still-warm eggnog muffins.

"I love you, Percy Jackson," Bianca growled, throwing herself into the chair and unwrapping a muffin. She bit down and practically melted in her seat. A low moan spilled out of her, and Percy's cheeks went from warm to burning.

"So, what did you do while I was out?" Percy asked as he reached over to begin putting the groceries away.

"Put up the tree," Bianca said. "I thought we should wait to decorate it together, but I did string up lights in the living room."

"Thanks," Percy said, rolling the plastic bags together and shoving them into another bag hanging by the fridge. "Does that mean we're pretty much done unpacking?"

"Basically," Bianca said, wiping the crumbs from her mouth. She yawned, stretching her freckled olive arms above her head. "Just gotta-" she yawned again and Percy unconsciously mimicked her- "finish the kitchen and decorations."

Percy hopped up onto the counter with a smile. "I can't believe we've reached this point," he said, staring a little ways past Bianca. "Adults, moved in-"

"A house of our own," Bianca added gently.

"Engaged," Percy added breathlessly.

Bianca laughed, holding up her hand to admire the beautiful sapphire ring. The lights caught it and it shimmered.

"I thought I'd die before now," Percy admitted quietly, his eyes moving to meet hers.

"Gods, can you imagine how different our lives would have been if I had joined the Hunters?" Bianca asked wonderingly, twirling one silky black strand of hair around her finger.

"I don't want to imagine life without you," Percy said softly, hopping down from the counter. Bianca slid off her chair and held out her hand; Percy spun her around and she landed, giggling against his muscled shoulder.

"You don't have to," Bianca said, grinning up with that gorgeous gap-toothed smile at Percy. He fought the urge to kiss her then- she was so beautiful in that moment.

"Thank the gods for that," Percy said, kissing her nose instead. Their foreheads met and they stood there for a while, just breathing and reveling in each other's presence.

"Percy?" Bianca asked softly.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Percy closed his eyes, a soft smile upon his lips as a pleasant warmth spread through his body. "I love you too."

Bianca pulled away first, her eyes sparkling and wet. "We should probably start decorating the tree," she said with a wet giggle. Percy gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and wiped her eyes. Bianca groaned.

"What?" Percy asked.

"I don't know why my eyes are watering!" she exclaimed, her laugh punctured by a snort. For a moment, both of them froze in shock, and then they started laughing harder.

"Gods, I love you so much," Percy said, spinning her around. Bianca shook her head, leaning up to peck the bottom of his chin.

"Tree?" she reminded him.

Still a little breathless from laughing, Percy only nodded with a grin so wide it ached. Hand in hand, they half-walked, half-danced into the living room.

"Smaller than the box made it look," Percy said, looking up at the five and a half foot artificial tree.

"Bit easier to decorate though," Bianca threw back.

"The lights are nice," Percy said. "You did a good job."

"I did, didn't I?" Bianca said, throwing tinsel at Percy. "Chop chop."

"I'm going, I'm going…"

Most of the decorations were scavenged from Sally or handmade by Percy's little sister and Tyson. Some of them were given to them by their friends, some bought by one of them. There weren't that many yet, but Percy hoped it would grow over the years

Soon, almost every ornament was on the tree. Where the branches looked a little bare, he and Bianca had filled it with tinsel and their extremely poorly-made popcorn lines.

Standing back with the star in his hand, the tree wasn't likely to win any awards. Despite the lumpy decorations and mismatched themes, it was beautiful. It was home.

"Do you want to put the star on?" Percy asked, wiggling it in his hand.

"I'm too short," Bianca said, shaking her head.

"I can pick you up," Percy said, winking. Bianca's nose crinkled and she giggled, shaking her head.

"Okay," she said, holding her arms out. Percy handed her the star and lifted her. She set the star on top and he placed her back on solid ground. He laced his hand through hers as they turned to admire the tree.

"Welcome home," she whispered softly, leaning into Percy.

Pressing a kiss softly to that silky black hair, Percy felt something in him settle and a sort of rightness wash over him. _Welcome home._


	3. Objective Disaster (Perianca verse 2)

Summary: Percy and Bianca's date was a total disaster, but only from an objective point of view. Or, where the raw facts don't equal the whole experience, and actually, if they could do it over, they wouldn't change a thing.

* * *

From an objective point of view, their first date was a total disaster.

First, Percy and Bianca had taken a bus to the nearest movie theater, planning to watch Moana. The small bit of shelter provided at the stop was full, so they'd been stuck standing in the sleet without an umbrella for almost twenty minutes when they expected to wait five.

Once on the bus, they'd been forced to stand, as all the seating was taken. Percy'd ended up supporting Bianca, who's leg was acting up from the cold and who's cane broke the other day fighting off a hellhound.

At the theater, they'd just barely managed to get the last two tickets for Moana and missed the first five minutes. A kid kept kicking the back of their seats.

While heading back, Bianca managed to get a seat, but was yelled at by some rando for taking seating away from 'people who needed it'. Percy very narrowly avoided getting into a fight, and they'd braved the sharp wind to stumble into his mom's apartment. Since Sally and Paul were on a date themselves, they'd ordered pizza, which ended up 45 minutes late.

From an objective point of view, their first date was a total disaster.

Key word: objective.

 _Rewind_.

"Oh man," Bianca moaned as she spotted the crammed-to-the-brim bus stop. "We're going be stuck out in the sleet, aren't we?"

Percy laughed, then choked as frozen rain flew into his mouth. Bianca giggled at the slightly stunned look on his face. Coughing, Percy grinned and gently spun Bianca. "We won't get wet," he promised, taking her hand. Immediately, the water sloughed off of both of them and Bianca manipulated the Mist to make it look like they were as soaked as the rest of the disgruntled populace.

"What a good umbrella," Bianca teased, leaning against him slightly.

"Is that why you keep me around?" Percy asked, raising one dark eyebrow.

"Among other things," Bianca said, bumping into him. Percy rolled his eyes.

Exchanging jokes, teasing each other, and talking about the movie- Percy didn't think twenty minutes had ever passed so quickly.

The bus was crammed and there was no seating. At first, Percy'd been annoyed, but then Bianca started talking about her life before the Lotus Casino and leaned against them. Percy grabbed onto one of the loops hanging from the ceiling and wrapped another arm around Bianca's waist as she grabbed his arm and they'd swayed with the bus. She'd laughed at him when he nearly fell over when the bus took a turn a little too sharp and it took every inch of his will power not to kiss her right then.

They'd stumbled off the bus, cheeks red and eyes bright with laughter. Though they'd been friends for years and though they'd been together for- _jeez, almost a month already-_ it felt simultaneously like they were meeting each other for the first time and like they'd been together for years.

When they were told they got the last tickets for Moana and they realized the movie had already started, Percy scooped Bianca up and they ran for the theater, Bianca laughing into his chest as Percy's face burnt with mixed embarrassment and joy.

Collapsing in the back row, Bianca's hand sought out Percy's and their shoulders bumped against each other. When Bianca glanced at Percy through the baby Moana scene, his eyes were glistening and glued to the screen and she tightened her grip. They cried at Tala's death and Percy's hand tightened almost painfully around Bianca's when Tamatoa began throwing Maui around. Bianca's hand gripped Percy's right back when Maui failed to defeat Te Ka and as Moana walked to what seemed like her death.

When the credits played, they laughed through their shaken awe at Tamatoa's little end scene. As the screen faded to black, Percy glanced at Bianca and pulled her to her feet.

"New favorite movie?" Bianca asked, snuggling into Percy's chest.

"Yes," Percy immediately shot back. Bianca giggled and closed her eyes.

"Even against Little Mermaid and Lilo & Stitch?" she asked.

"…yes," Percy finished, shouldering open the doors to the entrance.

Bianca shrugged and hooked her arm around Percy's playfully. "Well, I think Hercules is still my favorite, but that's definetly in my top three."

"Hercules?" Percy asked incredulously.

"What?" Bianca said, shrugging as the bus pulled up. "My dad is hilarious in that. Plus it pisses him off."

"Are you sure you're not the rebel?" Percy asked skeptically as Bianca practically fell into the first open seat.

"What are you talking about?" Bianca asked, way too innocently. She batted those painfully long, thick eyelashes at Percy and he swallowed hard.

"I- uh," Percy shook his head.

Bianca grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him down to her level, whispering in his ear, "I'm innocent, boo."

Percy leaned heavily against the nearest pole, a completely dazed look in his bright green eyes as Bianca snickered.

"Hey!" a gruff voice growled. Percy started to turn when a thick shoulder bashed into his, throwing him off balance. A tall, middle-aged man squinted down at Bianca. "What are you doing there?"

"Sitting, sir," Bianca said mildly. Percy, who'd been about to retaliate, paused. Her words were polite and non-confrontational, but her tone was one of an amused predator.

"In the disabled section?" the man hissed. "What if there are people who need these seats? Kids these days…" He grabbed her arm. "Get up!"

Bianca twisted her arm out of his grasp and flattened her jacket. "No. I am in the right section. Move along, please."

She glanced up at Percy and winked. He immediately fell back from where he'd been about to deck the mortal.

"Get up," the man growled once more, reaching out to grab Bianca's arm once more.

"She's disabled, dumbass," Percy finally snapped, pushing the man away. "Her cane broke the other day and she's stood more than she's supposed to without support today so _fuck off."_

Bianca smiled and tapped her leg. "I crushed it a few years back, you see. Now, if you please, this is our stop."

Making a big show of getting up, she limped over to Percy, who held out one arm so that she could walk with less pressure on her leg. Together, they exited the bus, leaving an embarrased and dumbstruck man being told off by an old lady who noticed the drama.

Once on the sidewalk, Percy and Bianca high fived.

"You were incredible," Percy said in awe. "Truly terrifying."

"The overly protective boyfriend bit was great too," Bianca added with a laugh.

They walked slowly up the steps, allowing for Bianca's leg. They rode the elevator up and unlocked the door, chattering and talking about the movie as they went.

"Do you want pizza?" Percy asked.

"Pineapple!" Bianca said, fully expecting Percy's disgusted expression.

"Two pizzas then," he muttered with an exasperated smile. "How do you like that shit?"

Bianca sprawled against the couch, hair around her face like a halo. "Don't rag it till you try it."

"I'll pass."

As the wind picked up and snow blasted the windows, they played Super Mario Party and speculated on what was taking the pizza so long. Bianca bet that it would be there by the time they finished the game; Percy bet it would be there before hand.

Bianca won a handful of drachmas and the game, much to Percy's chagrin. About three rounds into the next game, the pizza finally arrived. Then, with pizza in front of them and inside what essentially amounted to a pillow fort, they challenged each other on SuperSmash and cuddled under the angora blankets Paul's mother had made the Christmas before.

"Best date ever,' Bianca whispered against his shoulder sleepily.

Percy just nodded tiredly and dozed off against her, one arm curled loosely around her freckled shoulder as she nuzzled into his chest, remote control in one limp hand.

Not even fifteen minutes later, Paul and Sally made it home to see the two snoring teens curled up together in front of the TV. Sally gently shook Bianca awake, who yawned and wiped her bleary eyes.

"Time to go?" Bianca asked, stretching against Percy.

Sally nodded fondly. "Do you have a ride?" she asked.

Bianca grinned and pointed at herself. "Shadow travel," she explained. "Can you tell Percy goodbye for me in the morning? He looks too peaceful to wake up now."

"I will," Sally said. "Did you have a good time?"

Unhesitatingly, Bianca smiled. "The best."


	4. the girl with a silly smile

Summary: Even 10 years later, Chiara was head over heels for the girl with a sleepy smile.

* * *

Chiara smiled at the post it note stuck to the fridge. It wasn't anything special- just a reminder to pick up egg and a little cat drawing- but it was so Valentina.

Speaking of her wife, she was currently sprawled across the couch, blanket falling off long legs and hair, frizzy, curly, and plastered to her face.

She was beautiful.

Quietly, Chiara padded across in socked feet and pulled the blanket up, tucking it around Valentina's wide shoulders. She brushed a strand of dark hair away from her mouth and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

Silver sheets of rain played against the windows as Chiara spun around the the sun struggled to rise against the heavy clouds, streaks of red and orange shone through to paint an otherwise gray world. Wind shook the panes as if to announce the coming October and to trumpet the anniversary of Valentina's birth.

Chiara clicked on a few lamps, letting an amber glow settle over the apartment.

Over on the couch, Valentina mumbled and pressed her face into the pillows. Chiara snickered and moved to the kitchen to start prepping breakfast.

Soon, the smell of huevos rancheros filled the apartment.

Chiara heard Valentina's shuffling steps before she felt her warm arms draping themselves around her neck.

"Mmmmhhh Ch'ra," Valentina mumbled, voice groggy with sleep.

"Hey beautiful," Chiara said, turning to press a soft kiss against Valentina's lips. "Want coffee?"

Valentina moaned and Chiara laughed, turning so she was facing her, the taller woman's arms still encircling her.

"Go sit down," she said, ducking out from under Valentina's embrace. "I'll make you coffee, you zombie."

"It's my birthday, you can't be mean to me," Valentina said teasingly, yawning.

"You're the cutest zombie in the world," Chiara offered. "Now go huddle with your cat and hiss at the sun."

Valentina swatted Chiara softly and moved away. Chiara glanced back to see the curtains shifting as Valentina went to watch the rain, dark hair settling like dust around her.

Even ten years later she was head over heels for the girl with the silly smile.


	5. homecoming

They meet like a stray wave striking a rock- unexpected and bold.

It's every meet awkward au Lou Ellen has ever read, except it's the tall girl covered in Lou Ellen's coffee while her girlfriend mops up the mess. It's Lou Ellen stuttering apologies with hot cheeks.

The salty air matches the water bubbling in her eyes and Lou Ellen becomes more mortified then before when she bursts into tears.

"Hey- hey," the shorter girl says as the taller girl's eyes widen. "It's okay."

"I know!" Lou Ellen wails, trying to calm herself. She'd always been a painfully easy crier.

But the taller girl seems to understand and she holds out one dark brown hand.

"My sister is the same way," she says. "I'm Kristina."

Lou Ellen stares at the hand for a moment and takes it, a watery smile on her lips. "Lou Ellen Bautista," she hiccups, wiping her cheeks.

"Ellie," says the shorter girl with an easy smile. "Sorry about your coffee. Can we buy you another one?"

"Sorry for spilling it on you," Lou Ellen says, glancing at Kristina. "And…sure."

They buy her coffee and sit together in a booth. They talk and Lou Ellen learns that they are starting at the same college as Lou Ellen. They compare classes and exchange phone numbers and even as they stand to leave, Lou Ellen doesn't want to go.

* * *

They grow closer and somehow, so softly none of them noticed it, Lou Ellen slipped into their dynamic. She began spending more nights on the sofa of their apartment, more nights cuddled up with them while they watch bad infomercials, more time with them then without them. She doesn't notice at first how her heart flutters when they are around, how happy she is when one of them smiles at her, but she does notice the crinkles at the edges of Kristina's eyes when she laughs, the elegance of Ellie's eyebrows that are so, so expressive and it isn't until Lou Ellen is tangled in a pile of limbs with Kristina laughing above her and Ellie's squealing underneath them that she realizes that she is head over heels.

But they are Ellie and Kristina, Kristina and Ellie and Lou Ellen doesn't know how to become Lou Ellen and Kristina and Ellie without breaking it all apart.

What she doesn't realize is that they already are.

* * *

Lou Ellen wants to kiss them.

She knows she staring but Kristina and Ellie are pressed closer together than normal, hands entwined and she feels cold and lonely and yet so full of love.

They are _right there_ but Lou Ellen can't have them.

* * *

Lou Ellen's heart plummets one night when Kristina and Ellie ask her to go home.

The problem is that she's already there.

She still gets up, zips up her jacket and heads back to her apartment. She trudges through the light layer of early snow and breathes the salty air, undefeated by the cold, and feels smaller somehow.

She walks into an empty room and disturbs the dust gathered on every surface. She hasn't been back in a week.

She stares at the ceiling that night and tries to feel something other than emptiness.

* * *

The next day, Lou Ellen feels pathetic as she waits for the phone to ring. She has no classes and so she begins to clean her apartment, eyes drawn to her pink cellphone lying innocuously on the couch.

She eats breakfast and mindlessly watches stupid videos on her phone all the while waiting.

Waiting.

The phone rings.

* * *

Lou Ellen is waiting on a cold metal bench out in Central Park. Her fingers are cold and shaking and she isn't sure if it is the cold or the nerves.

Then she sees them- gloved hands swinging, puffy jackets Lou Ellen insisted they buy, scarves, matching, like the one Lou Ellen is wearing now that Ellie knitted- and to her horror she almost starts crying because god, she _missed them and she's so relieved and scared-_

"Lou!" Ellie says, running up to her and Lou Ellen smiles, sniffles.

"Hi," she says softly.

"Are you okay?" Kristina asks. Lou Ellen nods.

"So we talked last night," Ellie says and ice begins to take over Lou Ellen's blood. "And came to a decision."

"If you're willing," Kristina started.

"We'd like you to become our girlfriend," Ellie finishes.

 _Beat_.

"What?" Lou Ellen says. She isn't sure what she was expecting, exactly, but it wasn't this.

"If you don't want-" Ellie starts but Lou Ellen shakes her head.

"N-no!" she says. "I want this, I- I really really want this, I just can't believe-" And she's crying again and they are hugging.

"Can I kiss you?" Kristina asks and Ellie whines,

"I wanted to kiss her first!"

Lou Ellen giggles wetly and pushes them back a little. "Guys, I'm all gross and wet," she says and her cheeks start to burn from smiling.

"Eh, that just makes you cuter," Kristina says and Lou Ellen laughs. They kiss her on both cheeks and pull her to her feet.

"Let's go to that coffee shop we met at," says Ellie, grabbing Lou Ellen's hand. Kristina grabs her other.

Lou Ellen's cheeks feel hot when she remembers how they met and Ellie squeezes her hand, winking. Kristina laughs and Lou Ellen's home again.

* * *

Her fingers aren't so cold anymore.


	6. Blue Food and Purple Dinosaur Stickers

"Percy?" Penelope asked, suddenly setting down one of the toy cars she'd been lining up.

Percy propped himself up on one elbow, one hand still tangled in Annabeth's hair as she snored against his side. "Yeah, Penny?"

"What makes a hero?" she asked, picking the car up again and spinning the wheel with her finger. "Mom and Dad call you and Annabeth heroes and that's why you guys get hurt. But I thought heroes were like Superman and Captain America."

"Well…" Percy said, one hand absentmindedly carding through Annabeth's curls. "It takes more than looking good in spandex to be a hero, kiddo. Heroes are…" he paused, struggling to find the words. "Heroes are people who sacrifice and risk things to help people. Heroes are people who get up when things get hard. Heroes are people who do the right thing instead of the easy thing."

"Like what Pr'ffessor Dumbledore said," Penelope chirped, the car's wheels spinning frantically with her words.

Percy laughed. "Sure thing, monkey. What brought this on?"

Annabeth snuffled and moaned something along the lines of 'five more minutes' and Penelope giggled.

"Well…" Penelope said. "Mom and Dad were talking last night 'cause they were worried. And then she said you were heroes and Dad agreed and then you guys came home and we watched Thor and then Mom said she and Dad had to leave early this morning and that Uncle Grover was watching Nick and Allie and Sophie and-"

"Okay, okay," Percy said, glancing down as Annabeth blinked her eyes open. "Good morning sleeping beauty."

"Urhmmm," Annabeth replied, spitting a bit of hair out of her mouth as she brushed the sleep out of her eyes. "Wha' timezit?"

"Nine sixteen!" Penelope said, already somersaulting back to her original position before Percy could extract his phone. For a second, both of them blinked at the girl who was currently grinning at them with gap teeth before both just shrugged. "Annabeth, you promised we'd go to the zoo today. Are we gonna go? When are we gonna go? Oh, and Dad said that you were late last night 'cause you were doing hero stuff and Percy was telling me about what being a hero is and now that you're awake you gotta tell stories about being a hero! Did you ever fight a monster? Was it big? Did it have fangs? Did you-"

"Penelope, let her wake up a little," Percy chuckled, gently pulling himself from Annabeth's sleepy koala-hug even as the old image of twelve year old Nico flashed through his mind.

"Coffee is good," Annabeth mumbled, sliding slightly to the side as Percy stood. "'llegal to be wake this early."

"Well," Percy said simply as he ruffled Penelope's wild hair. "How about I make us some breakfast and then we can go to the zoo. I know you miss your nieces and nephews, Penny, so maybe we can Skype them when they have lunch?"

"Why is their spring break so much later than ours?" Penelope complained. "And why do I have to go to boring old regular school and they get to go to a cool private school?"

Percy and Annabeth glanced at each other and stifled laughter.

"They go to a special school because they're demigods, remember?" Annabeth said, stretching her arms.

"But I can see monsters," Penelope argued, crossing her arms as the cutest pout appeared on her chubby cheeks. "And my big brother is a demigod."

Percy ruffled her hair once more as Annabeth slowly dragged herself to her feet and pulled Penny's wheelchair closer to her. "Sorry kiddo, but that's not how it works."

"The middle and high school are open to Sighted mortals if your mom is okay with it," Annabeth added. "Chin up."

Still pouting, Penelope pulled herself up into her wheelchair and bumped into Percy's legs. "Can I have pancakes? I like the blue ones and it's my weekend to hang out with you and I missed you," she said in all one breath, simultaneously deploying her absolutely lethal puppy dog eyes.

"She got that from you," Annabeth muttered, elbowing Percy in the side. Grimacing, Percy nodded with a rue smile.

"Well?" Penelope demanded, brown eyes glittering with determination behind giant sparkly purple glasses. She would look menacing, except for the purple dinosaur sticker and chubby cheeks and overall adorable angry kitten look she had going on.

"Sure thing," Percy said easily, stepping inside the kitchen as Annabeth and Penelope followed behind. "Want to help?"

"Yes," the girls said with differing amounts of enthusiasm. As Percy got out bowls and spoons, Penelope gathered ingredients and Annabeth started on the coffee and tea. Minutes later, Penelope was chanting 'blue food, blue food' as Percy squeezed blueberry juice into the pancake mix and added the tiniest bit of blue food coloring. As he began scooping mix onto the griddle, it was Annabeth who swooped in and snatched the food coloring away from Penelope.

"Hey!" Penelope snapped.

Annabeth raised one eyebrow and waved the small tear-drop shaped bottle. "I know you, Penny. You were about to squeeze this entire thing into the syrup."

"And?" Penelope asked innocently. "Blue food!"

"One or two drops, kiddo," Annabeth said with a grin. "Not twenty."

Penelope's shoulders sagged forward as heat rushed to her ears and cheeks. "Oh."

"Here, want to help me?" Annabeth asked, handing the bottle back to her. Penelope's eyes lit up and she violently shook her head. Grinning, Annabeth poured some syrup into a separate container and handed it to Penelope to color-fy.

As Percy flipped one blue pancake into the air, the morning light trickled through the window and illuminated the three of them. As the sunlight settled on their shoulders, it was Penelope's innocent question that sent first Annabeth into peals of laughter, then Percy, and then finally, after some protests and pouts, Penelope. For now, all was calm.

All was calm.


End file.
